Incontinence Aid

ABSTRACT

An incontinence aid may include a pad body. The pad body may include a liquid receiving area. The incontinence aid may further include a liquid passage connected to the pad body. The liquid passage may form a boundary about a majority of the liquid receiving area. The liquid passage may include at least one lateral opening facing the liquid receiving area.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to an incontinence aid. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure pertains to incontinence aidsdesigned for men and women respectively.

An estimated 25% of women over the age of 35 experience some level ofurinary incontinence. Childbirth and menopause can potentially increasea woman's likelihood of urinary incontinence.

Men also experience urinary incontinence, albeit at a lower rate. Anestimated 10% of men suffer from some level of urinary incontinence.Prostate issues can often be to blame for male urinary incontinence.

As life expectancy of the average person increases, the demand forincontinence products similarly increases. Urinary incontinence becomesincreasingly likely with age, particularly in individuals aged 65 orolder. Indeed, the global products market for disposable incontinenceproducts was over $8 billion in 2015. This figure is expected to growbeyond $12 billion by 2024.

Many urinary incontinence products are bulky and prevent a user fromwearing certain clothing. Some urinary incontinence products may sufferfrom insufficient leakage protection, thereby preventing a user fromenjoying a fully active life without the fear of having an accident inpublic.

What is needed, therefore, is an improved incontinence aid according tothe present disclosure that may address one or more of the above issues.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Briefly, the present disclosure relates, in one embodiment, to anincontinence aid. The incontinence aid may include a pad body. The padbody may include a liquid receiving area. The incontinence aid mayfurther include a liquid passage connected to the pad body. The liquidpassage may form a boundary about a majority of the liquid receivingarea. The liquid passage may include at least one lateral opening facingthe liquid receiving area.

The liquid passage may form a boundary about the entire liquid receivingarea.

The incontinence aid may further include a drain connected to the padbody. The drain may be able to receive liquid from at least one of theliquid receiving area and the liquid passage.

The incontinence aid may further include a liquid retention vesselremote from the pad body. The liquid retention vessel may be in fluidcommunication with the drain.

The drain may be connected to the liquid receiving area of the pad body.

The liquid passage may further include a first liquid passage open endand a second liquid passage open end. The drain may be connected to thepad body between the first liquid passage open end and the second liquidpassage open end.

The liquid receiving area may include a liquid collection reservoirdefined in the pad body.

The liquid collection reservoir may include a generally oval shape.

The liquid collection reservoir may include a first thickness of the padbody. Other portions of the pad body may include a second thickness ofthe pad body. The second thickness may be greater than the firstthickness.

The pad body may further include at least one ridge. The at least oneridge may be able to direct liquid to the liquid collection reservoir.The at least one ridge may include a third thickness of the pad body.The third thickness may be greater than the first thickness and thesecond thickness.

The pad body may include a generally hourglass shape.

The liquid passage may include a water-resistant material.

The liquid passage may include a water-proof material.

The pad body may further include a front portion having a front portionwidth. The pad body may also further include a back portion opposite thefront portion. The back portion may have a back portion width. The padbody may further still include a middle portion disposed between thefront portion and the back portion. The middle portion may have a middleportion width. The middle portion width may be less than the frontportion width and the back portion width.

The front portion width may be greater than the back portion width.

The present disclosure also relates, in one embodiment, to anincontinence aid for men. The incontinence aid may include a pad body.The pad body may include an interior side, an exterior side opposite theinterior side, a proximal end, and a distal end opposite the proximalend. The incontinence aid may further include a first fastenerpermanently connected to the pad body adjacent the proximal end of thepad body. The first fastener may be able to removably attach a firstoverlapping portion of the pad body adjacent the proximal end of the padbody to the exterior side of the pad body adjacent the proximal end ofthe pad body. The incontinence aid may also include a second fastenerpermanently connected to the pad body nearer the distal end of the padbody than the first fastener. The second fastener may be able toremovably attach a second overlapping portion of the pad body adjacentthe distal end of the pad body to the exterior side of the pad body.

At least a portion of the proximal end of the pad body may be elastic.

The incontinence aid may further include an elastic band connected tothe pad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body.

The proximal end of the pad body may include a proximal end width. Thedistal end of the pad body may include a distal end width. The distalend width may be greater than the proximal end width.

The present disclosure also relates, in an embodiment, to a method ofattaching an incontinence aid to a man. The method may includepositioning a pad body of the incontinence aid such that an interiorside of the pad body adjacent a proximal end of the pad body is underthe man's genitals; folding a first side edge of the pad body over atleast a portion of the man's genitals such that the interior side of thepad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body and adjacent thefirst side edge of the pad body faces at least a portion of the man'sgenitals; folding a second side edge of the pad body over the first sideedge of the pad body such that the interior side of the pad bodyadjacent the proximal end of the pad body and adjacent the second sideedge of the pad body faces at least a portion of an exterior side of thepad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body and adjacent thefirst side edge of the pad body; folding the pad body such that theinterior side of the pad body adjacent a distal end of the pad bodyfaces at least a portion of the exterior side of the pad body to coverthe man's genitals; and securing the pad body in a folded position toretain the pad body on the man's genitals.

The method may further include fastening the interior side of the padbody adjacent the proximal end of the pad body and adjacent the secondside edge of the pad body to the exterior side of the pad body adjacentthe proximal end of the pad body and adjacent the first side edge of thepad body.

The method may also include fastening the interior side of the pad bodyadjacent the distal end of the pad body to the exterior side of the padbody.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an embodiment of an incontinenceaid.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the incontinence aidof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the incontinence aid of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of anincontinence aid.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of an interior side of anotherembodiment of an incontinence aid.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the incontinence aid of FIG.5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of another embodiment of anincontinence aid.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of an exterior side of the incontinenceaid of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 7 inposition to be attached to the user.

FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 7 in asubsequent step of attachment to the user.

FIG. 11 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 7 in afurther subsequent step of attachment to the user.

FIG. 12 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 7attached to the user.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 7attached to the user.

FIG. 14 is a front elevation view of another embodiment of anincontinence aid during attachment to a user.

FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of yet another embodiment of anincontinence aid during attachment to a user.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an incontinenceaid.

FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the incontinence aid of FIG.16.

FIG. 18 is a perspective cutaway view of the incontinence aid of FIG.16.

FIG. 19 is a rear elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 16.

FIG. 20 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 16 inposition to be attached to the user.

FIG. 21 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 16 ina subsequent step of attachment to the user.

FIG. 22 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 16 ina further subsequent step of attachment to the user.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an incontinenceaid.

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the incontinence aid of FIG.23.

FIG. 25 is a perspective cutaway view of the incontinence aid of FIG.23.

FIG. 26 is a rear elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 23.

FIG. 27 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 23 inposition to be attached to the user.

FIG. 28 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 23 ina subsequent step of attachment to the user.

FIG. 29 is a front elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 23 ina further subsequent step of attachment to the user.

FIG. 30 is a side elevation view of the incontinence aid of FIG. 23 in aconfiguration to be attached to the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the presentdisclosure, one or more drawings of which are set forth herein. Eachdrawing is provided by way of explanation of the present disclosure andis not a limitation. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that various modifications and variations can be made to theteachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope ofthe disclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as partof one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment.

Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers suchmodifications and variations as come within the scope of the appendedclaims and their equivalents. Other objects, features, and aspects ofthe present disclosure are disclosed in, or are obvious from, thefollowing detailed description. It is to be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a descriptionof exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting thebroader aspects of the present disclosure.

The words “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “mounted”, “fastened”, andthe like should be interpreted to mean any manner of joining two objectsincluding, but not limited to, the use of any fasteners such as one ormore sections of hooks and corresponding one or more sections of loops,one or more adhesive strips with optional corresponding attachmentsurfaces, ribbons, laces, ropes, buttons, and the like allowing for astationary, translatable, or pivotable relationship; welding of any kindsuch as friction welding, ultrasonic welding, heat welding, and thelike; using any resin, glue, epoxy, and the like; being integrallyformed as a single part together; any mechanical fit such as a frictionfit, interference fit, slidable fit, rotatable fit, pivotable fit, andthe like; any combination thereof; and the like.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, any part of the apparatus of thepresent disclosure may be made of any appropriate or suitable material.

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of an incontinence aid 100 is shown.The incontinence aid 100 may be shaped and sized to fit a female. Insome embodiments, the incontinence aid 100 may be shaped and sized tofit an adult woman. The incontinence aid 100 may be made of one or moresheet layers as shown in FIG. 3 and discussed in more detail below. Insome embodiments, at least some of the layers may be absorbent. Theincontinence aid 100 may be made of any appropriate material includingcotton for washable embodiments, paper for disposable embodiments, orany other suitable materials. The incontinence aid 100 as shown in FIGS.1-3 may be placed on an undergarment of a user. In particular, theincontinence aid 100 may include adhesive on the undergarment facingside of the incontinence aid or the incontinence aid may include one ormore wings for taping the incontinence aid to the undergarment. Theincontinence aid 100 may be of any appropriate grade for a desiredabsorbency including light, medium, or heavy absorbency, for instance.The incontinence aid 100 may be used as an undergarment liner, a pad, oreven as a component permanently affixed to an incontinence undergarment.

The incontinence aid 100 may include a pad body 102. The pad body 102may be made of any appropriate materials and may include a liquidreceiving area 104.

The liquid receiving area 104 may include a liquid collection reservoir106 defined in the pad body 102. In many embodiments, the liquidcollection reservoir 106 may be formed by compressing the pad body 102during manufacture. Of course, the liquid collection reservoir 106 maybe formed by simply having a thinner portion of the pad body 102 or bythe addition or removal of materials of the pad body. As shown in FIG.1, some embodiments may include a liquid collection reservoir 106 of anapproximately oval shape. All other shapes are also contemplated herein,however. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid collection reservoir 106 mayinclude a first thickness T1 of the pad body 102. Other portions of thepad body 102 may include a second thickness T2 that is greater than thefirst thickness T1. The liquid collection reservoir 106 may be thethinnest portion of the liquid receiving area 104 of the pad body 102.

The pad body 102 may further include at least one ridge 108. The one ormore ridges 108 may be sized, shaped, and positioned such that they mayaid in directing liquid to the liquid collection reservoir 106. Forinstance, the ridges 108 may include curved ridges for containingprimary liquid flows that may otherwise splash or extend in an undesireddirection, and the ridges may also include straight ridges for directingsecondary liquid flows toward the liquid collection reservoir 106. Insome embodiments, the ridges 108 may provide adequate spacing betweenthe user's body and the liquid receiving area 104 to allow the liquid tomove more freely toward the liquid collection reservoir 106. The atleast one ridge 108 may include a third thickness T3 of the pad body102. This third thickness T3 may be greater than the first thickness T1and the second thickness T2.

In some embodiments, the pad body 102 may further include a frontportion 110. The front portion 110 may be considered the portion of thepad body 102 that is placed adjacent the front side of a user. The frontportion 110 may include a front portion width W1 defined as the maximumwidth of the front portion. The pad body 102 may also include a backportion 112. The back portion 112 may be considered the portion of thepad body 102 that is placed adjacent the back side of the user. The backportion 112 may be opposite the front portion 110. The back portion 112may further include a back portion width W2 defined as the maximum widthof the back portion. In many embodiments, the front portion width W1 maybe greater than the back portion width W2. A possible benefit of such aconfiguration may be that the front portion 110 may be wider toaccommodate more liquid through absorption due to the increased relativearea compared to the back portion 112 because the liquid may tend tomore likely engage the front portion than the back portion. The pad body102 may further include a middle portion 114 disposed between the frontportion 110 and the back portion 112. The middle portion 114 may includea middle portion width W3 defined as the minimum width of the middleportion. In many embodiments, the middle portion width W3 may be lessthan the front portion width W1 and the back portion width W2. In manyembodiments, the pad body 102 may include a generally hourglass shape.

The incontinence aid 100 may further include a liquid passage 116connected to the pad body 102. The liquid passage 116 may form aboundary about a majority of the liquid receiving area 104 in someembodiments. In other embodiments, the liquid passage 116 may form aboundary about the entire liquid receiving area 104. In manyembodiments, the liquid passage 116 may include at least one lateralopening 118 defined in the lateral passage wall. The at least onelateral opening 118 may generally face the liquid receiving area 104.The lateral opening 118 may be any appropriate opening including, butnot limited to, a cut or molded hole, a series of pores, a mesh section,a section of liquid permeable material, and the like. The liquid passage116 may also include a water-resistant material or a water-proofmaterial in some embodiments. In such embodiments, any liquid present inthe liquid receiving area 104 may freely enter the liquid passage 116via the at least one lateral opening 118. The liquid in the liquidpassage 116 may be at least partially contained in the liquid passagealone, or it may be at least partially transferred along the liquidpassage to another portion of the pad body 102 such as the liquidcollection reservoir 106. This configuration may be useful for a userwhen she sits down, for instance. Sitting on all or a portion of theincontinence aid 100 may cause the liquid to be expressed from absorbentportions of the pad body 102 or may cause the liquid to otherwise move.The liquid may enter the liquid passage 116 instead of escaping from theincontinence aid 100 entirely when the user sits down. This rerouting ofliquid may provide more complete containment of the liquid and thus mayprovide a more reliable incontinence aid 100.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the incontinence aid 100 mayfurther include a drain 120. The drain 120 may be connected to the padbody 102. This connection may be made in any appropriate manner, and thedrain 120 may be of any appropriate construction. In some embodiments,the drain 120 may include a cut or molded hole, a series of pores, amesh section, a section of liquid permeable material, and the like. Thedrain 120 may be configured to receive liquid from at least one of theliquid receiving area 104 and the liquid passage 116. In someembodiments, the drain 120 may be connected to the liquid receiving area104 of the pad body 102. In at least one embodiment, the drain 120 maybe connected to the pad body 102 at the liquid collection reservoir 106.In such embodiments, the ridges 108 and the liquid passage 116 may bothhelp direct the liquid to the liquid collection reservoir 106. The drain120 may then be configured to receive the liquid from the liquidcollection reservoir 106 so the liquid may then be carried away from thepad body 102. The drain 120 may include a hole 126 defined in at leastone layer of the pad body 102. The drain 120 may further include afunnel 128 to direct the liquid flow. Additionally or alternatively, thedrain 120 may include a tubing connector end 130 to connect the drain toappropriate tubing 132. In some embodiments, the tubing connector end130 may be similar or identical to a typical catheter tubing connectorthat are typically used to connect catheter tubing to a catheter. Thetubing 132 may also, in some embodiments, be similar or identical totypical catheter tubing. One or more tubing clamps (not shown) may bedisposed on the tubing 132 to close off the tubing as desired by theuser. The incontinence aid 100 may also include at least one liquidretention vessel 134. The liquid retention vessel 134 may be locatedrelatively remote from the pad body 102 while still being in fluidcommunication with the drain 120. In at least one embodiment, the tubingconnector end 130 of the drain 120 may be connected to the liquidretention vessel 134, which may also include its own tubing connector,with the tubing 132. A non-limiting example of an appropriate liquidretention vessel 134 may be any known urinary leg bag, any known largecapacity container that is typically placed next to the user while theuser sleeps, and the like.

As mentioned briefly above, the incontinence aid 100 may include severallayers as shown in FIG. 3. The incontinence aid 100 may include a skinengagement layer 136, for instance. The skin engagement layer 136 may bepermeable to fluid such that fluid does not remain on or within the skinengagement layer. In some embodiments, the skin engagement layer 136 mayinclude a material that may prevent skin irritation for the user.

The incontinence aid 100 may further include a waterproof layer 138. Thewaterproof layer 138 may be the layer of the incontinence aid 100farthest from the user when worn by the user. Other embodiments maysimply include the waterproof layer 138 being opposite the skinengagement layer 136. Additional layers may be disposed on one or bothsides of the waterproof layer 138. The waterproof layer 138 may, in someembodiments, serve to aid direction of liquid toward the funnel 128 ofthe drain 120. The waterproof layer 138 may further aid in preventingliquid from escaping from the incontinence aid 100. In embodimentsincluding the drain 120, the waterproof layer 138 may include a hole 140defined therein to allow liquid to enter the funnel 128 of the drain.

In many embodiments, the incontinence aid 100 may include waterproofendcap portions 142. The waterproof endcap portions 142 may be connectedto the waterproof layer 138. In some embodiments, the waterproof endcapportions 142 may be connected along the outer perimeter to thewaterproof layer 138 much like a front portion of a house slipper. Otherlayers may be disposed between the waterproof endcap portions 142 andthe waterproof layer 138 where the waterproof endcap portions are notconnected to the waterproof layer. The waterproof endcap portions 142may be disposed under the skin engagement layer 136 in many embodiments.The function of the waterproof endcap portions 142 in some embodimentsmay be to prevent liquid contained within the pad body 102 fromtraveling toward a user or otherwise away from the pad body when theuser sits or otherwise compresses a portion of the pad body.

One or more absorbent layers 144 may be disposed between the skinengagement layer 136 and the waterproof layer 138. The absorbent layers144 may be configured to retain liquid in any appropriate manner.

In some embodiments of the incontinence aid 100, an internal liquidpassage 146 may be disposed between the skin engagement layer 136 andthe waterproof layer 138. In many embodiments, the internal liquidpassage 146 may be disposed between absorbent layers 144. The internalliquid passage 146 may be similar in construction to the liquid passage116 discussed above. In some embodiments, the internal liquid passage146 may be smaller in diameter than the liquid passage 116 discussedabove. The internal liquid passage 146 may further include lateralopenings 148 defined internal liquid passage wall. The internal liquidpassage 146 may receive liquid from any portion of the pad body 102where liquid may pool or be expressed. The internal liquid passage 146may aid the transfer of the liquid to other portions of the pad body 102to more effectively contain the liquid when compared to prior artincontinence aids. In some embodiments, the hole 126 in the pad body102, or in the absorbent layer 144, may allow liquid disposed in theliquid collection reservoir 106 to more readily enter the internalliquid passage 146. In many embodiments, the internal liquid passage 146may be exposed in the area of the liquid collection reservoir 106, suchthat the internal liquid passage is part of the liquid collectionreservoir.

Of course, the incontinence aid 100 may not necessarily include a drain120. In such embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the hole 126 defined inthe pad body 102 may only direct liquid to the internal liquid passage146 for redistribution. Also, the absorbent layers 144 may be arrangedthe same or differently from the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. Theabsorbent layers 144 may include layers of differing, similar, oridentical thicknesses. The absorbent layers 144 may also be of the same,similar, or different materials.

Turning now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the incontinence aid 100 may furtherinclude a second pad body 150. The second pad body 150 may receive thepad body 102 discussed above thereon. The second pad body 150 may belarger in at least some areas than the pad body 102 discussed above. Inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the liquid passage 116 mayinclude lateral openings 118 on both sides of the liquid passage insteadof only on the inside. This modification may allow liquid received onthe second pad body 150 to enter the pad body 102 discussed above andvice versa. The second pad body 150 may further include a second liquidpassage 152 connected to the second pad body. The second liquid passage152 may border all, or at least a majority, of the second pad body 150.The second liquid passage 152 may be similar in construction to theliquid passage 116 described above. In some embodiments, the secondliquid passage 152 may include a greater diameter than the liquidpassage 116 described above. The second liquid passage 152 may alsoinclude one or more lateral openings 154 as discussed above. In someembodiments, some of the lateral openings 154 of the second liquidpassage 152 may face, or may be at least partially aligned with, theoutward facing lateral openings 118 of the liquid passage 116. Theaddition of the second pad body 150 may be beneficial for a user whowishes to sleep while wearing the incontinence aid 100. The additionalsurface area and additional absorbent material may allow for a greateramount of liquid to be appropriately contained than other embodimentsdiscussed above. In some of the embodiments of the incontinence aid 100including the second pad body 150, the skin engagement layer 136, thewaterproof layer 138, and the waterproof endcap portions 142 may besized and positioned to surround both the smaller pad body 102 and thesecond pad body as shown in FIG. 6.

Turning now to FIGS. 7-13, the present disclosure also relates to anincontinence aid 200. The incontinence aid 200 may be shaped and sizedto fit a male. In some embodiments, the incontinence aid 200 may beshaped and sized to fit an adult man. Many of the components andmaterials of the incontinence aid 200 may be similar to or the same asthe components and materials of the incontinence aid 100 discussedabove. In order to avoid redundancy, same or similar components of theincontinence aid 200 may be numbered a value of one hundred higher thanthe corresponding respective components of the incontinence aid 100, andthese higher numbered components may not be discussed explicitly herein.

The incontinence aid 200 may include a pad body 202. In someembodiments, the pad body 202 may generally resemble a sheet when in theunfolded position as shown in FIG. 7. The pad body 202 may include aninterior side 256 and an exterior side 258 opposite the interior side.These names for the sides 256, 258 are for clarity purposes and do notreflect a particular configuration requirement in all embodiments of theincontinence aid 200. In some embodiments, however, at least a portionof the interior side 256 of the pad body 202 may be configured to faceor make contact with the user's genitals G1 as shown in FIGS. 7-13. Insuch embodiments, at least a portion of the exterior side 258 of the padbody 202 may be configured to face away from the user's genitals G1 asshown in FIGS. 10-13. The pad body 202 may further include a proximalend 260 and a distal end 262 opposite the proximal end. These names forthe ends 260, 262 are for clarity purposes and do not reflect aparticular configuration requirement in all embodiments of theincontinence aid 200. In some embodiments, however, the proximal end 260of the pad body 202 may be configured to be placed nearer the user thanthe distal end 262 of the pad body when positioned as shown in FIG. 9.The proximal end 260 of the pad body 202 may include a proximal endwidth W4, and the distal end 262 of the pad body may include a distalend width W5. In some embodiments, the distal end width W5 may begreater than the proximal end width W4. This width difference may allowthe incontinence aid 200 to be more easily fitted on or about the user'sgenitals G1.

Many embodiments may include at least a portion of the proximal end 260of the pad body 202 being at least somewhat elastic relative to the restof the pad body. This elasticity may allow for more of a fittingtolerance to provide a better and/or more secure fit of the incontinenceaid 200 about the user's genitals G1. In some embodiments, an elasticband 264 may be connected to the pad body 202 nearer the proximal end260 of the pad body than the distal end 262 of the pad body. In furtherembodiments, the elastic band 264 may be connected to the pad body 202adjacent the proximal end 260 of the pad body.

The incontinence aid 200 may further include a first fastener 266permanently connected to the pad body 202 nearer the proximal end 260 ofthe pad body than the distal end 262 of the pad body. In manyembodiments, the first fastener 266 may be permanently connected to thepad body 202 adjacent the proximal end 260 of the pad body. The firstfastener 266 may be configured to removably attach a first overlappingportion 268 of the pad body 202 adjacent the proximal end 260 of the padbody to the exterior side 258 of the pad body adjacent the proximal endof the pad body. Stated another way, the pad body 202 may be folded overnear the proximal end 260 of the pad body to form a first overlappingportion 268 of the pad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body asshown in FIG. 11. This first overlapping portion 268 of the pad body 202may be secured in place with the first fastener 266. The first fastener266 may include any appropriate fastener as contemplated above.

As best shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, many embodiments of the incontinenceaid 200 may also include a second fastener 270 permanently connected tothe pad body 202 nearer the distal end 262 of the pad body than thefirst fastener 266. In some embodiments, the second fastener 270 may bepermanently connected to the pad body 202 adjacent the distal end 262 ofthe pad body. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the second fastener 270 maybe configured to removably attach a second overlapping portion 272 ofthe pad body 202 adjacent the distal end 262 of the pad body to theexterior side 258 of the pad body. Stated another way, the pad body 202may be folded over between the proximal end 260 of the pad body 202 andthe distal end 262 of the pad body to form a second overlapping portion272 of the pad body as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. This second overlappingportion 272 of the pad body 202 may be secured in place with the secondfastener 270. The second fastener 270 may include any appropriatefastener as contemplated above.

Some embodiments of the incontinence aid 200 may include the liquidpassage 216 as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. As shown in FIG. 14, the liquidpassage 216 may include a section of the passage having no lateralopenings 218.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the liquid passage 216 mayinclude a first liquid passage open end 274 and a second liquid passageopen end 276. In at least one of these embodiments, the drain 220 may beconnected to the pad body 202 between the first liquid passage open end274 and the second liquid passage open end 276. As such, at least someof the liquid may be carried to the drain 220 via the liquid passage216. Of course, liquid may also reach the drain 220 directly from theliquid receiving area 204 in many embodiments.

Illustrated particularly in FIGS. 9-12, the present disclosure furtherrelates to a method of attaching an incontinence aid 200 to a man M1.The method may include positioning a pad body 202 of the incontinenceaid 200 such that an interior side 256 of the pad body adjacent aproximal end 260 of the pad body is under the man's genitals G1 (asshown in FIG. 9). The method may further include folding a first sideedge 278 of the pad body 202 over at least a portion of the man'sgenitals G1 such that the interior side 256 of the pad body adjacent theproximal end 260 of the pad body and adjacent the first side edge of thepad body faces at least a portion of the man's genitals (as shown inFIG. 10). The method may also include folding a second side edge 280 ofthe pad body 202 over the first side edge 278 of the pad body such thatthe interior side 256 of the pad body adjacent the proximal end 260 ofthe pad body and adjacent the second side edge of the pad body faces atleast a portion of the exterior side 258 of the pad body adjacent theproximal end of the pad body and adjacent the first side edge of the padbody (as shown in FIG. 11). The method may further still include foldingthe pad body 202 such that the interior side 256 of the pad bodyadjacent a distal end 262 of the pad body faces at least a portion ofthe exterior side 258 of the pad body to cover the man's genitals G1 (asshown in FIGS. 12 and 13). The method may even further include securingthe pad body 202 in a folded position (as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13) toretain the pad body on the man's genitals G1.

In some embodiments of the method described above, the method mayfurther include fastening the interior side 256 of the pad body 202adjacent the proximal end 260 of the pad body and adjacent the secondside edge 280 of the pad body to the exterior side 258 of the pad bodyadjacent the proximal end of the pad body and adjacent the first sideedge 278 of the pad body. This step may allow the incontinence aid 200to be retained on the man's genitals G1 as shown in FIG. 11 without theman M1 or another user being forced to hold the incontinence aid inplace prior to further securing the incontinence aid.

Further embodiments of the method may also include fastening theinterior side 256 of the pad body 202 adjacent the distal end 262 of thepad body to the exterior side 258 of the pad body.

In even further embodiments, the interior side 256 of the pad body 202adjacent the distal end 262 of the pad body may be fastened to theexterior side 258 of the pad body adjacent the proximal end 260 of thepad body.

As shown in FIGS. 16-22, the incontinence aid 200 may further includeweb sections 282 disposed on both side edges 278, 280 of the pad body202. The web sections 282 may include a water-resistant or water-proofmaterial in some embodiments. The web sections 282 may facilitatefolding the incontinence aid 200 into the final position as shown inFIGS. 12 and 13. The web sections 282 may further prevent leakage offluid contained by the incontinence aid 200 that may otherwise occur dueto user movement or other disturbances to the incontinence aid.

The incontinence aid 200, also as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, may includeone or more internal liquid passages 246 as described above. The liquidpassage 246 may be disposed between a skin engagement layer 236 and awaterproof layer 238. In many embodiments, the liquid passage 246 may bedisposed between absorbent layers 244.

Turning now to FIGS. 23-30, the incontinence aid 200 may further includea drain 220 as described above. The waterproof layer 238 may include ahole 240 defined therein. The absorbent layers 244 may also include ahole 226 defined therein as part of the drain 220.

As shown in FIGS. 8, 12, 13, 19, 26, and 30, the incontinence aid 200may also include one or more exterior fasteners 284. The exteriorfastener 284 may be positioned such that the incontinence aid 200 mayremovably connect to the user's undergarments during use. Thisconnection may allow for additional support, helping to maintain theincontinence aid 200 in place even when containing considerable amountsof fluid. A further benefit of the exterior fastener 284 connecting tothe user's undergarments may be that the design may allow for the userto pull away the second overlapping portion 272 of the pad body 202 bysimply pulling down the user's undergarments. A user may thenconveniently and quickly be able to use the restroom. After using therestroom, the user may then return the user's undergarments to thewearing position and may reengage the second fastener 270 to secure thesecond overlapping portion 272 of the pad body 202 in place.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention andalso to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention,including making and using any devices or systems. The patentable scopeof the invention is defined by the claims, and may include otherexamples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples areintended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structuralelements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims orif they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantialdifferences from the literal language of the claims.

Although embodiments of the disclosure have been described usingspecific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only. Thewords used are words of description rather than limitation. It is to beunderstood that changes and variations may be made by those of ordinaryskill in the art without departing from the spirit or the scope of thepresent disclosure, which is set forth in the following claims. Inaddition, it should be understood that aspects of the variousembodiments may be interchanged in whole or in part. While specific usesfor the subject matter of the disclosure have been exemplified, otheruses are contemplated. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims should not be limited to the description of the versionscontained herein.

1.-13. (canceled)
 14. An incontinence aid for men, the incontinence aidcomprising: a pad body including: an interior side; an exterior sideopposite the interior side; a proximal end; and a distal end oppositethe proximal end; a first fastener permanently connected to the pad bodyadjacent the proximal end of the pad body, the first fastener configuredto removably attach a first overlapping portion of the pad body adjacentthe proximal end of the pad body to the exterior side of the pad bodyadjacent the proximal end of the pad body, wherein the first fastenercomprises a first fastening component permanently connected to theinterior side of the pad body and a second fastening componentpermanently connected to the interior side of the pad body; and a secondfastener permanently connected to the pad body nearer the distal end ofthe pad body than the first fastener, the second fastener configured toremovably attach a second overlapping portion of the pad body adjacentthe distal end of the pad body to the exterior side of the pad body,wherein the second fastener comprises a first fastening componentpermanently connected to the interior side of the pad body and a secondfastening component permanently connected to the exterior side of thepad body.
 15. The incontinence aid of claim 14, wherein: at least aportion of the proximal end of the pad body is elastic.
 16. Theincontinence aid of claim 14, further comprising: an elastic bandconnected to the pad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body. 17.The incontinence aid of claim 14, wherein: the proximal end of the padbody includes a proximal end width; the distal end of the pad bodyincludes a distal end width; and the distal end width is greater thanthe proximal end width. 18.-20. (canceled)
 21. An incontinence aid formen, the incontinence aid comprising: a pad body including: an interiorside; an exterior side opposite the interior side; a proximal end; and adistal end opposite the proximal end; a first fastener permanentlyconnected to the pad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body, thefirst fastener configured to removably attach a first overlappingportion of the pad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body to theexterior side of the pad body adjacent the proximal end of the pad body,wherein the first fastener comprises a first fastening componentpermanently connected to the exterior side of the pad body and a secondfastening component permanently connected to the exterior side of thepad body; and a second fastener permanently connected to the pad bodynearer the distal end of the pad body than the first fastener, thesecond fastener configured to removably attach a second overlappingportion of the pad body adjacent the distal end of the pad body to theexterior side of the pad body, wherein the second fastener comprises afirst fastening component permanently connected to the interior side ofthe pad body and a second fastening component permanently connected tothe exterior side of the pad body.
 22. The incontinence aid of claim 21,wherein: at least a portion of the proximal end of the pad body iselastic.
 23. The incontinence aid of claim 21, further comprising: anelastic band connected to the pad body adjacent the proximal end of thepad body.
 24. The incontinence aid of claim 21, wherein: the proximalend of the pad body includes a proximal end width; the distal end of thepad body includes a distal end width; and the distal end width isgreater than the proximal end width.